Potato separator, sprouter, and cleaner.



- 110.796,01?. vPATENTTED JaUG.1,19o5.

c. V. ROSE. n PoTATo SEPARATOR, SPROUTER, vAND CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 28,1904.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 796,017. y PATBNT'EDAUG.-1,19o5,

` y I G. v ROSE. Y

PoTATo sBPARAToR,-SPR0UTER, AND CLEANER.

:APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 28,1904.

S-SHEETS-SEEET 3.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT CEEICE.

' POTATO SEPARATO'R, SPROUTER, AND CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application led October 28, 1904:. Serial No. 230,345.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES V.vRosE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Watertown, in the county of Litchfield and the State-of Connecticut, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Potato Separators, Sprouters, and Cleaners, of'wliich the following is a specification. J

This invention relates to a device for grading, cleaning, and sprouting'potatoes`,'the operations mentioned going on simultaneously` and the parts'are also made detachable and interchangeable, so that the machine'can be used for grading and cleaning only or for sprouting and cleaning.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, particularly pointed out in the claims, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig'. 3 is a vertical section through the device. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a small detail sectional view showing the sprouter device in position. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective viewof the sprouter-comb. Fig. 7 is a section on the line7 7 of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the means for locking the cleaning-comb in a raised position. Fig. 9 is a detail View, partly ink section, showing one of the hooks for holding the bags in position. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the sprouting-screen. cross-section of the sprouting-screen.

My device comprises the usual frame A and a hopper A', carrie-d by the frame.y At each end of the frame is secured a board B, to which is hinged 'a second board B', which board supports a discharginghopper; B2. These hoppers have lateral projections B2, which bear against-the frame A and limit the inward and upward swinging movement of the hoppers. Pivoted hooks carried by the frame are adapted toswing down and engage these lateral projections and hold the hopper in the proper position for discharging into a bag or other receptacle, as shown at B5, the hooks B4 being arranged above the hoppers. To hold the bag in position, I arrange on each hopper B2 a hook member B, pivoted intermediate its ends between parallel lugs secured to the hopper, and the forward end of the hook engages a socket B7, formed in the ho er. A spring B8 is arranged between Fig. 11y is a the opposite end of the spring and the hopp er and pressing upward normally holds the hook member in engagement with the socket. Hooks B9 are arranged on each board B' on the 'sides of the hopper, and the bag B5 has its mouth distended and drawn over the hopf per, the under side being caught over the hooks B2, and the upper side is caught under the hook member B6 and being forced into the socket is held firmly from slipping under the weight of the potatoes discharged into the bag. d

In the frame A is arranged an upwardly and downwardly open box-frame C. At one end the box is cut away adjacent its top and at the opposite end adjacent the bottom, forming openings C' and C2, alining with the discharge- 1noppers B2, respectively, and it will be understood that while similar in construction one of the hoppers B2 is lower than the other. In each side of the box C is formed two wedgeshaped recesses C3 and C2, the upper one, C2, inclining downwardly toward the opening C' and the lower one, C4, inclining downwardly in the opposite direction toward the opening C2. A rectangular frame D has its side members resting in the recesses C3, and this frame carries a screen D' of aA large mesh. After being placed in position thescreen and frame are held by arod E, which passes transversely through the box C just abovethe upper end of the frame D. Intermediate its ends a rod F is rotatably arranged in the box transverse to and above the frame D, and on one side this rod projects from the box and has its outer end portion bent to a right angle, as shown at F'. A hook F2 is arranged on the outerside of the box and is adapted to be engaged bythe bent end portion F. On the rod F is arranged a cleaning-comb F3. This comb consists of a stiff leather bent around and secured to the rod, as shown in Fig. 3, and the lower edge of the comb, which is adjacent to, and transverse to `the screen D, is slotted at intervals, wherebya plurality of flaps or teethare formed along the lower edge of the comb. When the bent -portion F' is thrown into engagement with the hook F2, the rotation of the rod throws the comb in an elevated position, and the bent portion F', litting rather tightly between they hook F2 and the side of the box, the comb is held .raised until the rod F is again rotated by the person operating the device.

The lower recesses C* support the sides 0f a frame G, in which is arranged a screen Gr of a liner mesh than the screen D'. In Fig. 7 I have shown a plan of the upper screen, through a portion of which is shown the meshes of the two lower ones. A bathe-plate H is arranged between the two screens and parallel to the screen D. At the bottom of the box C, adjacentthe lower end of the screen G and below same, is arranged a downward discharge-chute J. Below and parallel with the upper portion of the screen G is arranged a inemesh screen J, being of a liner mesh than either of the other two, and below this last screen is arranged a disehargeschute J2, which discharges into a removable dust-box J3. This dust-box has exterior side cleats J i, one of which rests on a cross-bar J 3 and the other of which is adapted to rest and slidein a groove formed in the side of a cross-beam J3. At each end of the frame A is arranged a lug K, and the ends of a rod K are held in these lugs. Suitable brackets K2 are arranged at the ends adjacent the bottom of the box C, the rod passing loosely through these brackets. The box C is thus pivotally held in the frame A, the rod K being on the longitudinal axis of the box, and as the box is considerably narrower than the frame A the upper portion of the box will have a sulicient rocking movement to agitate anything placed on the screens, which of course rock with the box. To rock the box and screens, the following mechanism is employed:

A bracket L is arranged on one side of the frame, in which are arranged two stub-shafts L and L2, on one ofwhich is arranged a gearwheel L3 and on the other a pinion L3. The outer end of the shaft L carries a handle L5 of the usual type, and the outer end of the shaft L2 has a small wheel LG rigidly secured on it. Horizontally pivoted to the frame A adjacent the rod E is a bell-crank M. A pitman has one end connected to the longer end of the bell-crank and the other end connected to the wheel L3, the pitman being indidicated at M. A link M2 is pivoted at its outer end to the shorter arm of the bell-crank and at its inner end is connected, by means of a universal joint, to the rod E. By the means thus described the box C is rocked and a similar motion given to all of the screens.

The hopper A has a bottom slanting toward the upper end of the screen D- and cut out over the upper portion of' said screen. A slide A2, operated by a suitable handle A3, closes the opening, and by adjusting the slide the size of the opening can be regulated.

It is thought that the operation of the device when the parts are thus assembled and the crank-handle is rotated will be obvious.

The larger potatoes will passdown the screen D' into the uppermost hopper B2 and thence into the bag secured to said hopper. As the potatoes are shaken under the comb the dirt Will be scraped from them and willfall through the successive screens into the dust-box J3. The smaller potatoes will fall through the opening' in the screen D and will travel down the screen Gr and pass out through the lower hopper B2 and be collected in the bag at that end of the device.

Sprouts and the smallest potatoes will pass through the screen G and out through the discharge-chute J and be caught in any receptaele that may be placed under the said chute to receive them. The baiile-plate prevents the dirt and dust from falling on the lower portion of the screen G' and thus passing out through the chute J. By this arrangement the device is well adapted for use in a barn or other building, as the dirt and dust are deposited in a box and not scattered loosely on the fioor around the machine. By arranging all the screens in a box-frame and then imparting the rocking motion to the box the mechanism for shaking the screens is much simplilied, as it becomes unnecessary to provide a rocking means for each screen.

In sprouting potatoes the cleaning-comb F and the screen D are removed and a sproutercomb O and screen P placed in position, as shown in Fig. 5. The sprouter-comb O comprises a block O notches along its lower edge and having a plurality of notches O3, in which are pivoted plates O3, arranged edgewise with respect to the sprouter-screen I) and parallel to each other. To the block are secured downwardly-extending arms O3, the free ends of which project into the spaces between the plate O3. The plates O3 are formed with a lower cutting edge O3, as shown in Fig. 5. The screen P is formed of a plurality of longitudinally-extending bars P', beveled longitudinally on their upper edges, as shown at P3, the bars being spaced slightly apart and the cutting edges of the plate O3 and the arms O4 alining with alternating spaces, as shown in Fig. 10.

The operation of the machine when the sprouter-comb O and screen IJ are used is the same as with the cleaning-comb and screen D.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the kind described eomprising a frame having a hopper thereon, discharging-hoppers arranged at the ends of the frame, one of said hoppers being lower than thcothcr, a rod arranged centrally and longitudinally through the frame, a box pivoted on the said rod, a detachable screen carried by the box and leading downwardly to the higher end hopper, a screen of liner mesh arranged below the first-mentioned screen and slanting downwardly in the opposite direction to the lower end hopper, a baffle-plate parallel to the upper screen interposed between the two screens, a fine screen below and parallel to the lower screen and at the end of the box opposite the baffle-plate, a discharge-chute under the lower end portion of the lower screen, a dischargechute under thene screen, a removable dustbox under the last-mentioned chute, an adjustable comb arranged transverse to the upper screen, means carried by the end hoppers for securing bags thereto, and means for rocking the box and all of the screens, substantially as described. f

2. A device of the kind described comprising a feed-hopper, a box, screens in the box, means for rocking the box, end hoppers, hinged boards carrying said end hoppers, means for locking the hoppers in position, a hook arranged on the boards on each side of each end hopper, each hopper having a socket formed in one of its sides, a hook member pivoted on each hopper intermediate its ends and adapted to engage the said socket and to grip the side of a bag, and a spring arranged between the hopper adapted to hold the hook screen and `between the feed-hopper and the.

discharge-hopper, a strip of leather carried by said rod said strip having slits formed at intervals in its lower edge, said leather strip forming a cleaning-comb, and means for hold ing the comb in an elevated position.

` CHARLES V. ROSE.

Witnesses:

EDsoN B. LocKwooD, BENNETT C. A'rwooD. 

